Rotary engine.



-PATENTBD MAR. 5, 1907;

WITNESSES No. 846,017. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907. s. H. DRAPER. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 5, 1906.

WITNESSES INVENTOH 8 2 W i i A TTORNE) 1H5 uomus PETERS 5a., WASHINGTON, n. c.

No.846,017. PATENTED MAR.5,190.7. I

S.H.'DRAPER.

ROTARY ENGINE. lumen-101w nun mm, 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES "INVENTOH 1n! norms rsrzas 50., wasnngoron, n. c.

- PATENTBD MAR. 5, i907.

S. H. DRAPER. ROTARY ENGINE. urmoumiz rum) un s, 1970s.

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WITNESSES 4 PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907. s. H. DRAPER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY s. 1906.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

' WITNESSES ATTORNEY,

MM m l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN H. DRAPER, OF GRANGER, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-SIXTH TO SAMUEL ALLEN AND SAMUEL E. ALLEN, OF DANSVILLE, NEW YORK, JOINTLY, AND FIVE-EIGHTEENTHS TO CHARLES RIOKER AND FIVE- EIGHTEENTHS TO WILLIAM S.

MILLS, BOTH OF HUME, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed May 5, 1906. Serial No. 315,313.

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN H. DRAPER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Granger, in the county of Allegany, State of New York, have invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in engines; and the object of my invention is to provide a rotary engine, driven by any suitable working fluid, which will have great power in comparison with its size and which will be simple in construction, certain in its 1 5 action, and eflicient in operation.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my new engine,

the cover-plate being removed to expose the inner working parts. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view through the longitudinal axis of the main shaft. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing in front elevation the reversing mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the piston-head and piston-carrier. Fig- 6 shows the rotary reaction-wheel in side elevation. Fig. 7 is a detail View showing the exhaust ring. Fig.

8 is a detail showing the liner. Figs. 9 and 10 are details showing the cut-off box in side and end view, respectively.

The casing a is closed by a front or cover plate 6, secured to it by cap-screws c, which engage in the holes d, formed in the casing. Mounted in bearings formed in the casing a and its cover-plate b is a main shaft 6, to which is secured the rotary piston-carrier f, in which is dovetailed the piston-head g. The pressure of the working fluid upon the piston-head drives the piston-carrier f, and thereby causes the main shaft 6 to rotate. The piston-carrierf (see Fig. 1) comprises a rim it, connected by the radial arms i with the hub j. Formed upon the rim h opposite the piston-head g is a counterweight k. Mounted on each side of the piston-carrier f is a circular plate m, the two plates m being secured by screws n and each being formed with a circumferential groove 0, in which is inserted a split ring 19, similar to the split rings used in the ing engines.

Mounted in bearings formed in the casing a and the cover-plate b is a shaft q, the front part of which is hollow, and secured to this shaft Q is a rotary reaction-wheel r, from the hub s of which extend radially outward the reaction-arms 25. Between the reaction-arms t the hub s is formed with a series of admission-ports a, through which the working fluid enters the casing and acts upon the pistonhead 9 to force the latter around through the space 1). The piston-head gin its travel rubs against the sides to of the reaction-arms t, and these sides w have a curvature equal to that of the inner wall of the lower part of the casing, so that when they are in position to contact with the extremity of the pistonhead 9 in its travel they form practically a continuation of the inner curved wall of the lower portion of the casing a. (See Fig. 1.) The piston-head g and the reaction-arms t are formed with grooves at, in which is inserted packing 1 which contracts and expands, so as to make a perfect steam-tight fit with the surfaces with which it comes in contact. When the working fluid is acting upon the pistonhead g, the reaction-wheel r is held fast by mechanism hereinafter described. In the drawings the reaction-wheel tis provided with six arms; but the number of arms may be increased or diminished without departing from the spirit of my invention. Where six arms are used, the reaction-wheel 1" will make one complete revolution for every six revolutions of the piston-carrier Fast upon the rear end of the shaft 9 are mounted fast two disks 2 3 side by side. The disk 2 is formed on its peripheral surface with lugs or teeth 4, and the disk 3 is formed on its peripheral surface with recesses 5. The number of teeth 4 and the number of recesses 5 are equal to each other and to the number of reaction-arms t. In rear of the disks 2 and 3 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 9 a ring or collar 6, from which project outwardly two arms-a pawl-carrying arm 7, in which is pivotally mounted a pawl '8, and a slotted arm 9, to which is adjustably secured the upper end of an eccentric-ro l 10 by a bolt 11 and nut 12. By loosening the piston-heads of reciprocatnut 12 the position of the bolt 11 in the slot 13 may be varied, thereby varying the throw or travel of the pawl 8. Fast upon the rear end of the main shaft 6 are mounted the eccentric 14 and the cam-disk 15, formed with a cam-slot 16, in which works a cam-roller 17, mounted on the lower end of a plunger 18. The rotary motion of the eccentric 14 causes the collar 6 to oscillate on the shaft (1 and the pawl 8 to move back and forth over the peripheral surface of the disk 2, engaging in its forward movement the teeth 4 successively, and thereby driving the disk 2, shaft q, and reaction-wheel 1* around with a step-by-step motion and bringing the reaction-arms 25 into operative position. in succession.

The locking-plunger 18 works up and down in a slot 19 in a box 20, bolted to the rear of the casing a, and is formed with a shoulder 21, against which bears the upper end of a coil-spring 22, the lower end of which presses against the box, the tension of the spring tending to force the locking-plunger 18 upwardly into the recess 0 to lock the disk 3, and thereby the shaft (1 and the reaction-wheel r, against rotary movement. By this locking device the reaction-wheel r is held fast against the pressure of the working fluid while the latter drives the piston-head g, and thereby the piston-carrierf and shaft 0. It will be understood that the action of the eccentric 14 and the cam-disk 15 is so timed that the plunger 18 is in releasing position or withdrawn from the recess 5 during the forward movement of the pawl 8, which turns the shaft 9 and the reaction-wheel r to bring another reaction-arm t and. another set of admission-ports it into active position.

Inserted in the hollow portion of the shaft q (see Fig. 2) is a cylindrical liner 23 therefor, the rear end of which is closed and the front end of which projects into the steamchest 24, the connection between the steamchest 24 and the liner being made steamtight by the stuffing-box 25. The liner 23 is slit longitudinally for a portion of its length near its rear end, as is shown at 26, and is formed with a single row of admissionports 27, which may be m ade to register with the admission-ports u in the hub .9 of the reaction-wheel 25, said ports it being in continuation of similar ports a in the hollow shaft 9. To bring the ports 27 into register with the ports a and u, a reversing-lever 28 is mounted fast upon the front end. of the liner 23, and by throwing the lever 28 the liner 23 is turned in the hollow shaft (1 so as to bring the ports 27 into register with that one of the series of ports a it through which it is desired that the working fluid shall pass into the casing a.

On each side of the reaction-wheel t is secured a circular side plate 29, in the peripheral surface of which is formed a circumferover to the other side.

ential groove in which is inserted a split ring 30. I itted over each side plate 29 is an annular disk or flat ring 31 32, the front one, 32, of which is formed with exhaust-ports 33. The outer peripheral surface of each of the disks 31 32 is formed with a circumferential groove in which is inserted a split ring 34, and the disks 31 32 roll upon the circular plates or disks m of the piston-carrierf, the split rings. 34 and p contacting with each other.

The cover-plate b is formed with a curved slot 35, through which passes a pin 36, screwed into the exhaust-ring 32, the front end of said pin 36 being connected with the upper arm of the lever 37, fulcrumed at 38 in the cover-plate b. The lower end of the lever 37 is secured by the pin 39 to the reversing-lever 28, While its upper extremity is forked and engages the arm 40, depending from the shaft 41, which extends through the cover-plate b and the casing a and carries at its rear end an arm 42, from which projects rearwardly the tripping-finger 43. ter moves in close proximity to the pawl 8, and when the shaft 41 is rotated by the swinging of the lever 37 and the arm 40 the trip ping-finger 43 strikes the upper end of the pawl 8 and throws it over on its pivot, the material of the pawl being so distributed that it will remain in this position until the tripping-linger 43 strikes it again and throws it The pawl 8 will then drive the toothed disk 2 in the reverse direction, thereby reversing the direction of motion of the reaction-wheel t.

The cover-plate b is formed with two sets of exhaustports 44, one set being on each side of the vertical drawn through the center of the main shaft 6. These exhaust-ports 44 communicate with the exhaust-chamber 45, and one set is closed by the exhaust-ring 32 when the other set is in register with the exhaustports 33 in the exhaust-ring 32. The exhaust-ring 32 is swung upon the circular side plate 29, which supports it, by the movement of the lever 37, which carries the pin 36, the lever 37 being actuated by the reversing-lever 28.

Inserted in the rear end of the liner 23 is a cylindrical cut-off box 46, formed with two rows of ports 47 and split longitudinally, thereby insuring a tight fit in the liner 23. Into the base of the cut-off box is screwed one end of a shaft 48, which passes through the rear end of the shaft 9, and to the other end of said shaft is secured a slotted arm 49, connected by a link 50 with the eccentric-rod 10. Depending upon the direction of rotation of the engine, one or the other of the rows of ports 47 is in register with the ports 27 of the liner 23 during a portion of a revolution of the main shaft 0, and the travel of the cutoff box 46 may be varied by varying the position of the bolt 51, which connects The lat- IIO the slotted arm 49 and the link 50. A stuffing-box 52, bolted to the rear of the shaft (1, makes the opening through which passes the shaft 48 steam-tight.

The operation is as follows: The working fluid (which may be steam, gas, compressed air, vapor, or any suitable fluid) is led by the main 53 to admission-chamber 24, from which it passes to the cylindrical liner 23, inserted in the hollow portion of the shaft g. (See Fig. 2.) The fluid presses the cylindrical wall of the cut-off box 46 against the wall of the liner 23 surrounding it and presses the cylindrical wall of the liner 23 against the wall of the shaft g, the cut-off box 46 and the liner 23 being split longitudinally, as hereinbefore described. The fluid cannot escape from the liner 23 until the cut-off box is turned by the movement of the eccentric 14, eccentric-rod 10, link 50, arm 49, and shaft 48 to a position in which one of its two rows of ports 47 move into register with the ports 27 of the single row of ports in the liner 23. By throwing the reversing-lever 28 to the proper side this single row of ports 27 is brought into register with the ports a. on either the right or left of the base of the lowermost vertical reactionarm 25. The ports a in the hub s of the reaction-wheel r are in continuation of the ports u. If it is desired that the rotation of the piston-head 9 shall be counter-clockwise, the ports 27 are brought into register with the ports a u, which appear to the left of the base of the lowermost vertical reaction-arm t in Fig. 1. The working fluid enters the casing through the ports u and flows between the piston-head g and the lowermost vertical reaction-arm t, and since the latter is held fast in place by the locking-plunger 18, which engages in one of the recesses 5 of the disk 3, the piston-head g is driven around in the annular space 1; between the rim h of the piston-carrier f and the casing and between the rim h and the curved sides 10 of the reactionarms t, which are in continuation of the curved wall of the inside of the lower or piston compartment of the casing, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. The split rings 34 contact with the inner curved wall of the upper compartment of the casing, Fig. 2, and with the split rings 1), which ride at the lowest point of their travel upon the ledges 55 of the casing. These split rings, together with the packing 1 serve to prevent any leakage of the working fluid. The piston-head g forces out the exhaust fluid in front of it through the exhaust-ports 33 in the exhaust-ring 32 and that set of the exhaust-ports 44 in the cover-plate b with which the exhaust-ports of the exhaust-ring happen to be then in register. Through these exhaust-ports the fluid passes into the exhaust-chamber 45. As the piston-head g approaches the end of its travel the plunger 18 is withdrawn from the recess 5 to release the disk 3, and the pawl 8 feeds the disk 2 forward one tooth or, as shown in the drawings, one-sixth of a revolution. The shaft qis turned through the same angle, and another reaction-arm t is brought into vertical position. Further, a new row of ports a a is brought into register with the admission-ports 27 of the liner 23. The cut-off box 46 being turned to bring its ports into 'register again with the ports 27, the cycle is repeated. It will be understood that the liner 23 serves to close all the ports a u except the row in register with its single row of ports 27. To reverse the direction of rotation of the main shaft e, the reversing-lever 28 is thrown to turn the liner 23 in the shaft q and to bring its single row of ports 27 into register with the ports u u on the other side of the base of the lowermost vertical reactionarm 25. Thus the admission of the working fluid will take place upon the opposite side of the reaction-arm and drive the piston-head g in the opposite direction. The throw of the reversing-lever 28 swings the lever 37, and thereby turns the exhaust-ring 32 and brings the exhaustports 33 into register with the other set of exhaust-ports 44. Further, the same throw of the reversing-lever 28 causes the lever 37 to rotate the shaft 41, and thereby to trip or reverse the pawl 8.

What I claim is 1. The combination in a rotary engine of a casing formed with exhaust-ports; a rotary piston-carrier provided with a piston-head; a rotary reaction-wheel provided with a plurality of reaction-arms; and an annular disk which is provided with exhaust-ports and in the, central opening in which said reactionwheel has a bearing, said exhaust-ports registering with the exhaust-ports in said casing.

2. The combination in a rotary engine of a casing formed with a plurality of sets of exhaust-ports; a piston-carrier provided with a piston-head; a rotary reaction-wheel provided with a plurality of reaction-arms; an annular disk which is provided with a set of exhaust-ports and in the central opening in which said reaction-wheel has a bearing; and means for swinging said disk to bring its exhaust-ports into register with either one of the sets of exhaust-ports in said casing.

3. The combination in a rotary engine of a casing; a rotary piston-carrier provided with a piston-head;- a rotary reaction-wheel provided with a plurality of reaction-arms; a hollow shaft upon which said reaction-wheel is mounted, said shaft being formed with inlet-ports; a tubular liner mounted within said hollow shaft and provided with inletports, said liner serving as a conduit for the working fluid and being rotatably mounted in said casing; a tubular cut-off box mounted over the inlet-ports in said liner and-operating to close the same and thereby to allow the fluid to act expansively; mechanism driven by said piston-carrier for operating said out-off box; and a reversing-lever attached to said liner for rotating the same to reverse the direction of motion of said pistoncarrier.

4. 'l he combination in a rotary engine of a rotary piston-carrier provided with a pistonhead; a rotary reaction-wheel provided with a plurality of reaction-arms; and means for giving said reaction-wheel a step-by-step movement, said means con'iprising a shaft upon which said reaction-wheel is mounted; a toothed disk mounted 011 said shaft a pawlcarrying arm; a pawl mounted in said arm; and mechanism for oscillating said pawlcarrying arm to cause said pawl to engage with and disengage from the teeth of said disk.

5. The combination in a rotary engine of a rotary piston-carrier provided with a piston head; a rotary reaction-wheel provided with a plurality of reaction-arms means for giving said reaction-wheel a step-by-step movement said means comprising a shaft upon which said reaction-wheel is mounted; a toothed disk mounted on said shaft; a pawl-carrying arm; a pawl pivotally mounted in said arm;

mechanism for oscillating said pawl-carrying arm to cause said pawl to engage with and disengage from the teeth of said disk; and means for tripping said pawl to reverse the direction of rotation of said reaction-wheel.

6. 'i he combination in a rotary engine of a rotary piston-carrier provided with a pistonhead; a rotary reaction-wheel provided with a plurality of reaction-arms means for giving said reaction-wheel a step-by-step movement; a valve controlling the admission of the working fluid; a valve controlling the exhaust of the working fluid; a reversinglever; and mechanism which connects said lever and said valves and means whereby the direction of rotation of said piston-carrier and reaction-wheel is changed by a single throw of said lever.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses this 24th day of April, 1906.

STEPHEN H. DRAPER.

Witnesses:

S. E. ALLEN, J. A. BAILEY. 

